Camouflage Heart
by Kayomie Latoro
Summary: Naruto is reunited with the girl who raised him until he was five, but is he prepared to defend her against his sensei! KakashiOC
1. The Camouflage Ninja Revealed

**CAMOUFLAGE OF THE HEART**

**Ch. 1: The Camouflage Ninja Revealed**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters or ranking affiliated with it. However, Kayomie and the things affiliated with the Camouflage Ninja are totally mine and I would appreciate it if you would ask me before borrowing her.

The young, golden-haired girl stood with her face emotionally blank, her eyes devoid of anything except grief. She stared at the baby with hair paler than hers.

"Why am I to be in charge of him, Hokage? I have no experience, nor have the wish to have any, with babies. I simply want to be alone, now."

The old man sighed. "I know you don't want to do this, Kayomie, but this little one has no one else and I believe he will be good for the both of you." Her sad eyes met his, a flame of resentment flickering before it disappeared and she took the boy into her arms.

"Does the hero have a name?"

"Yes, it is Naruto."

The girl turned, gently twirling his short hair between a couple of her fingers. "Naruto, huh?" Her mouth formed the word almost as if she were tasting it. "It fits you, little brother. I guess I'll be your family and you'll be mine. I promise I'll be the best big sister I can be, little one."

The baby stirred, fixing her emerald gaze with his sapphire one, clutching her shirt with his small fist. She was surprised, but then smiled at him gently, her eyes showing a kind of happiness to them. "It looks like we'll be getting along just fine, huh, Naruto?"

"Kakashi, I need you and your team to locate and bring back the Camouflage Ninja."

"But why me, Hokage? If memory serves, she would go with Iruka much easier, sir."

The old man sighed, fingers folded in front of his wrinkled face. "I'm afraid that around the time she disappeared, the only one she listened to was the boy she called 'brother', Naruto. Kayomie agreed to take care of him until he was at least five years old. However, she originally planned to raise him until he became a genin, but…" He paused before continuing," Something happened to her in her last mission that changed her for the worse. She just could no longer handle being in a large crowd of people after that. She left because she didn't want Naruto picking up such habits from her…"

"And we are bringing her back, why?" Kakashi asked as he rubbed the inside of his ear with his pinky.

"Because your team and others need her expertise. She will be given a home at the edge of the village so she will be comfortable enough."

"The only problem being to keep her in one place long enough for her to hear that much and brining her back alive," Kakashi said thoughtfully as he touched his chin with his two fingers thoughtfully.

"With her 'little brother' along, she should stay long enough for you to get that far, Kakashi. Now, get to it." Kakashi bowed to the old man.

"Yes, sir." He rose and left to find the three members of his squad.

"Really!" Naruto shouted, his eyes sparkling with joy. He hadn't seen the girl he considered his older sister in so long, he had forgotten her voice.

"Kayomie…. Hey, isn't she the girl who practically raised Naruto when she was fourteen?" Sakura asked gently.

"Yes, and we have to get her to stay. You three are scheduled as her first students, so be ready for anything," Kakashi warned as he turned a page in his book.

"When are we going?" Naruto asked excitedly as he stood in front of his sensei.

"Tomorrow, so be prepared, Naruto. She may not welcome you as readily as you might her; she may fight. Be armed and careful to any attack. Kayomie isn't a full-fledged genin for no reason, Naruto. If she doesn't want to come, she can and will fight all of us."

Sasuke glanced up in surprise. What reason would she have to attack the people she liked? If memory served, she loved just being with the people she considered Naruto's "friends", namely Sakura and himself.

"I can't wait to see Kayomie again! We haven't seen each other in years! I wonder if she'll recognize me?"

"Are you deaf, Naruto? She may attack us even if she recognizes you, so don't get your hopes up," Sasuke said angrily. "There's a possibility that she won't and attack us because of it."

"Sasuke's right, Naruto. I don't want you to have your feelings hurt if she doesn't recognize you," Sakura said gently as the boy's eyes filled with hurt.

"I know she will. Kayomie just couldn't forget me, right, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi looked up. "How could she? I doubt anyone could forget a moron such as yourself."

"Hey!"

Naruto: Next time on Camouflage of the Heart: We finally meet my big sister, Kayomie. She certainly has gotten a lot bigger and stronger since she left when she was nineteen. What! Whaddya mean it's our first lesson? We just barely reacquainted again! Next time: The Reunion of a Lifetime.

Author: I hope you enjoyed this installment and review! I apologize to my Saiyuki fans. I needed a break and am working on chapter 7: Golden Eyes, the Rescue as we speak. Sayonara!


	2. Pain and Pressure

**THE CAMOUFLAGE NINJA REVEALED**

**Ch. 2:Pain and Pressure**

Kakashi led the way into the woods that Kayomie was said to occupy. Hopefully, they hadn't walked smack dab into a trap. Naruto's eyes darted from side to side alert for the slightest motion. He had played enough hide-and-seek games with her to know how she worked. Sakura kept her ears open, hoping to hear Kayomie if she decided to attack.

As the group passed a bush, a pair of green eyes blinked and watched them. They narrowed as the scanned the silver-haired jounin in the lead. (A/N: I changed my mind about the ranks. It goes with lowest to highest: genin, chuunin, jounin. Got it? Good.) He looked muscular and fit, if a little lazy at the moment. But looks could be deceiving at times. The eyes quickly disappeared with a rustle of leaves, alerting the group to what they believed had been a squirrel. Sakura and Naruto's keen ears caught the sound of fast paw falls.

"Guys! We're under attack!" Sakura yelled in fear. A silver wolf leaped out of the bushes and knocked her into the ground, leaving her stunned and partially unconscious. It then pinned Sasuke to the ground, teeth bared as it growled savagely. Sasuke glared back and would have fought to get free, but the gleaming teeth told him otherwise.

A brown cougar followed, firmly holding Kakashi to the ground, eyes flashing and long canines inches from his throat to kill him if he moved. (Even though it's a feline, the two teeth are still called canines… Go figure.) A golden flash tackled Naruto to the ground, licking his face happily.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled as he struggled to get the animal off. "Knock it off!" The large fox leaned back and barked, eyes sparkling in happiness. "Sai?" It barked again and wagged its bushy tail. A young woman leaped over a bush and landed securely before helping Sakura to her feet.

She had long, golden hair that she wore in a ponytail at the top of her head with a red bandanna to keep her bangs at bay. Navy blue pants with rips in it decorated her legs to her thin waist, held up by a tan belt with three pouches attached to it. A navy tank with a vest similar to Kakashi's, only not as bulky, was all that decorated her upper half.

"Kurai, Sukai, off. These are friends," she ordered the wolf and cougar sharply. The wolf clambered off of Sasuke and gently nudged him to his feet. The woman frowned, her jade green eyes flashing. "Sukai, I said off! Off, Sukai." The cougar didn't move. "Sukai, off!" At this last word, the woman bent, pulled back on the leather strap that served the cougar as a collar, and booted the cougar as it turned. She crouched by Kakashi's stunned face with a sheepish look on her own. "Sorry about that. I guess Sukai was a little more nervous than I thought," she said as she smiled at him.

"Yeah…." Kakashi replied with a confused look on his face. She pulled the jounin to his feet, her eyes scanning him before she turned, doing the same to the genin he had traveled with. Her eyes sparked in recognition as a smile came to her face.

"It certainly has been a long time… Why, you three were barely waist-high last I saw you!" Naruto blinked a couple times, his arms securely around Sai.

"Nee-san?" he said in a surprised tone.

"Who else would I be?"

"Kayomie!" he yelled as he dropped the fox and ran to hug his sister. She grunted at the impact.

"It's been a long time, little brother," Kayomie said as she hugged him securely.

"I missed you, nee-san."

"I know, I know…" she replied as she ran her fingers through his golden hair like she used to when he was younger. After a few minutes of this, she pulled him back a couple of feet to look at him. "My, have you grown, little brother! You look almost grown up! I mean, a couple more feet and you're up to my chin." Kayomie smiled as she ruffled his hair and glanced at Sakura and Sasuke before nodding to herself. "You two certainly have changed. I almost didn't recognize you, Sakura. Your hair's so long now. It looks good on you."

"Thanks!" Sakura said with a wide grin. _Finally! Someone noticed!_

"Why, Sasuke, you're a lot different from who I remember. You're so serious…" Kayomie's eyes softened. "But I can see why after that…" Sasuke didn't speak but his eyes darkened at her mentioning it. Her eyes saddened in response. "My apologies, Sasuke, I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"It's okay," Sasuke murmured. She smiled softly and turned to Kakashi.

"You and your team are welcome to stay, jounin-san. I'll need some time before I'm ready to leave. Sai, would you lead them to our campsite if they agree? I need to do some things before I start packing. Excuse me," Kayomie said, bowing before she, Sukai, and Kurai disappeared.

"Could we, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Well, it's not like the Hokage gave us much of a choice to return without her, so yes. I guess we will," Kakashi said with his eye curved into a smile. Sai barked and started ahead, pausing every so often to make sure that they kept up with her.

The fox led them to a clearing with a large tent, a campfire pit, and a large stake with cuts in the wood.

"Wow," Naruto said as he investigated the wood. "It's like a calendar! One cut for every day." Sai was curled up on a rock in the clearing, watching their reactions.

Sukai padded into the clearing, a large fish in her jaws, and gently laid the fish at Kakashi's feet, her gold eyes sad.

"Uh…"

"Oh, that's just how she says sorry, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto told him. "Sukai's always done that when she's done something wrong."

"Ah." Kakashi bent and took the fish, scratching the cougar behind her ears. "You're forgiven, Sukai, and thanks for the fish," he said, his eye curving into a smile. Sukai purred and licked his hand, standing as she did so.

"She's really polite," Sakura stated.

"Well, that's how Sukai, Kurai, and Sai were raised. Kayomie has always said that politeness should come first in most situations." Naruto smiled as he remembered that phrase from when he had been rude to someone.

"Understandable, too. Acting like that can get you out of a sticky situation," Sasuke stated as he looked over the campsite.

Kayomie skidded to a stop mere centimeters from running into Kakashi, waving her arms to quickly regain her balance to avoid colliding into him. "All Right!" She yelled, making Kakashi jump and almost pin her to a tree with a shuriken. I say almost because Kayomie crouched at the last second. "Easy, jounin-san. I only meant to get Sakura, Sasuke, and little bro's attention, not scare you. My apologies."

"You merely surprised me, but I accept your apology," Kakashi replied with a small grin invisible behind his mask. Kayomie returned it.

"Good. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, your first lesson is to find me."

"Huh!"

"Hold it, nee-san. How can we learn to do your jutsu if you don't teach us?" Kayomie smiled again.

"That's the point. To learn a jutsu, you first have to know how it works. What easier way to do so than by seeing it in action?

"One at a time, you three will have to find me within a 30 minute time limit. Naruto, since you have a slight advantage, you'll go first. Sakura and Sasuke should be able to figure out a little bit of what you already know out as they watch. Now, you give me five minutes to hide and you come find me. No peeking!" Kayomie leaped away, leaving Kakashi with nothing to do but read.

5 min. later

"You can go now, Naruto," Kakashi stated from his position under a tree with Sukai curved behind him, serving as a backrest. After the rocky start, Sukai had given a bit of her trust toe the jounin.

Kurai was sitting next to Sasuke, being perfectly calm and innocent. Sasuke kept glancing at her as though expecting her to attack. Finally, Kurai just turned and licked his cheek as Naruto took off after his sister.

Naruto's blue eyes scanned the forest as he ran, looking for any hint as to where his sister had headed. Because he was so focused on the area around him, he tripped over a log and landed face first into a mud puddle. He regained his feet, spluttering as he stood. A faint chuckle came from his right. Naruto grinned and ran in that direction.

Kayomie came out from behind a bush with a large grin on her face. "You'd think he'd figure out that I fixed that," she muttered to herself.

"I did!"

Kayomie turned to see her brother on a tree branch above her. "I should've remembered… You're a bit quicker than people give you credit for. Come and get me then, catching is the true find," she said with a small smile as she dashed off.

"Rats! I can't believe I fell for it!" Naruto growled. "She always does that." He darted after her.

Kayomie managed to avoid his tricks as he chased her. The group in the clearing watched in interest as they darted all over.

"Naruto, you have ten minutes left," Kakashi called after the boy.

"Got it!" he yelled back. A cleverly thrown shuriken had pinned one of Kayomie's sleeves to a tree. "Gotcha!"

"Not quite!" The trapped Kayomie turned into a log. "Let's see if you can do that twice, little brother!" her voice rang from the forest around them.

"You may be able to throw your voice, nee-san, but I can still find you!" Naruto closed his eyes and focused his chakra on finding hers. His eyes snapped open with a smirk. He darted around the clearing, stopping behind his older sister. "Found you!" he yelled as he tackled her to the ground.

"Ow!" she grunted as she hit the ground before chuckling. "Good, little brother, good! I was hoping you would figure it out," she told him as she ruffled his hair clumsily. "Now, could you get off? My ribs feel ready to break!" Naruto scrambled off Kayomie as she stood and brushed herself off.

"Impressive," Kakashi said from where he sat.

"What? Naruto, me, or whatever you're reading?" Kayomie asked as she plopped down beside him.

"You, mainly. You've gotten better, Kayo-chan." Kayomie's eyebrows wrinkled as she frowned.

"How do you know that name?"

"I'm surprised you forgot about me so easily… We did train with Iruka for a few short months before we became genin, remember?" Kakashi met her gaze with his. She blinked in surprise a couple of times.

"Kakashi? Hatake Kakashi? (If his last name is wrong, please tell me what it is!)" He nodded, his smirk hidden beneath his mask. Kayomie smacked the back of his head. "What the hell took you so long, jackass!"

She grumpily walked into the woods. "Sakura, wait five minutes and then it's your turn, okay?"

"Um… okay…" The girl blinked a couple times before returning to stroking Sai's fur. "Kakashi-sensei, were you… friends with Kayomie?" she asked quietly.

"Not friends, more like… friendly acquaintances. We've never been extremely close. We trained together until we both reached genin at the same time. After that, we were split up among different senseis. I didn't see her again until after she took care of Naruto, but I never bothered to reacquaint myself."

"Well, no wonder she's mad at you!" Naruto yelled. "She probably thought you died or something."

"Let's go with 'or something' and leave it at that, ne?" Kayomie's voice echoed from around them again. "Sakura, you can come after me now."

"Got it!"

Here's a shout-out to those who have reviewed:

Element Girls: Thanks for the review! I like getting complemented on my work… If you like this, I suggest you try the story 'A Siren's Song.' That was what started this one in the first place.

BattleStations: Don't worry, that will be revealed in the coming chapters… Once I remember why myself. Oh, and a very important part of her mission is going to be revealed, so if I take too long, don't be afraid to give me crap.

Kitsune Foxfire: Thanks! I will try to update more often, but I have that slight problem known as writer's block that shows up way too much!

If you want to see your name up here, review people! Thanks!

Kayomie: I know Little Brother normally does this sort of thing, but since it involves delving into my psyche, I'll be doing the intro to the next chapter. Next time on Naruto: The Camouflage Ninja Revealed: Chapter 3: Bits And Pieces of Rememory. I go over a bit of my past and we finally get back to Konohamaru village. Which goes just about as wrong as it can get. The crowd forces me to tell Naruto and Kakashi just what it is that makes me avoid crowds. If you want to know as well, tune in next time!


	3. Bits And Pieces of Rememory

**THE CAMOUFLAGE NINJA REVEALED**

**Chapter 3: Bits and Pieces of Rememory**

After Sakura and Sasuke had found her within the time limit, Kayomie had excused herself to hunt down some meat. She was currently stretched out on a hilltop not too far from the woods, the bag of game a couple of inches from her arm.

Why had Kakashi suddenly had to show up now, after all these years? Last she checked, they had been pretty close, so why didn't he search for her? Kayomie had been a little preoccupied with raising Naruto, so she hadn't had time to. Maybe he didn't care after all…

"So this is where you've been hiding," Kakashi's voice came.

"So what if it is? It's not like you should care anyway. The only reason you're here is because the Hokage sent you," Kayomie snapped bitterly as she turned away from his sitting form on the grass beside her.

"You do know that I could have refused, right? There was a bit of a chance that you would attack anyone who came after you," he said, looking at her curved back gently. "Besides, you were starting to get lonely, weren't you? You never were able to be away from people for too long."

"Why would I tell you? You couldn't even bother to track me down while I was in the village."

"You didn't either," Kakashi pointed out.

"I was raising Naruto and you know it! Besides, I thought you had died during the attack like everyone else I knew…" Her voice choked with tears. (I'm assuming that Kakashi was involved in the whole fox demon thing.) "I had already given up hope of ever being happy before the Hokage gave me Naruto…"

"You think you're the only one? I was ready to disappear before I heard about you. I just figured you wouldn't want another nuisance around," Kakashi replied. "So, I was happy keeping an eye on you." He paused. "What exactly happened before you left?"

"I'm not talking about it, Kakashi," Kayomie replied tartly.

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't want to and besides, I don't even know how to put it into words myself… Now, could you take the meat and go? I want to be alone for a little bit."

Kakashi sighed with a small smile. She had always been stubborn when she was emotional. "All right. I'll see you back at camp," he said as he squeezed her shoulder. He quickly kissed her cheek, grabbed the bag of dead rabbits, and left.

Kayomie blinked a couple of times as she put a hand to her cheek. _Did he just-? No, there's no way! Wait…. I g-guess it IS possible… Highly unlikely, but I know he kissed me… Woo-hoo! _ Kayomie smiled to herself as she rolled onto her back, only to have the smile fade as a phrase echoed in her head:

'The source of your happiness will be found, and he will be lost to you forever.'

"I won't ever let that happen again."

A younger, slightly warmer Kayomie carefully walked down the hallway. The only parts of her showing were her bangs and her narrowed green eyes. Her body was on autopilot as she worried about her younger brother at home. _I hope Naruto is behaving… This will be his first night away from me since he was three._

Her chakra sensed the traps ahead making her pause to consider how she would do this. The walls held pits where various weapons would be hurled at her. _Oh, well. No way around it, better make my move!_ She darted out, her trained and graceful body moving easily through the traps. She paused at the end, a pair of swords that had almost gotten her in the hailstorm in her fists. _Now, on to my target._

"Camouflage jutsu, shadow fly," she whispered, as her body faded to look like a fly. _I HATE this form! _The fly flew into the empty room and landed on a scroll near the window, forced into human form as soon as it touched. Kayomie was frozen in her crouched position, the only part of her able to move on its own being her face. "What the-?"

"It seems you fell for the bait, my leopard cub. That was far too easy," a young man said as he emerged from the shadows. He had long, black hair, pale skin, and golden eyes. His body held a lean and muscled frame, easily visible in his ninjitsu suit.

"Who are you! What do you want with me!" she demanded fearfully as he approached her. He gently pulled her hood back, making her unbound golden hair fall around her in waves. He also removed her mask.

"My, you are a pretty one, aren't you?" he asked as he lifted her chin to get a better look at her. "and I'll answer your question with this: I want your happiness. Listen, and listen well: the source of your happiness will be found, and he will be lost to you forever…" His raspy voice faded as he lowered his gaze to the scroll beneath her and smirked. "So, your leader wants someone who can read thoughts? Well, it looks like he has his candidate and then some."

Kayomie arrived at the camp and quickly ate her fill of the food they had left her. She paused as she saw the extra half of a rabbit. "All right, which one left me half?" she demanded as she glared at the group.

All of the genin pointed at Kakashi, sitting off by himself near the fire. She chuckled. "Really?" He glared at his students evilly.

"Tattle-tellers," he muttered under his breath.

"Hey, you had it coming, copy cat. So don't whine at them for your own mistakes," Kayomie told him as she crawled into the tent, followed by the group. "Just pick a spot away from mine, and I'll be happy. G'night."

"Good-night, nee-chan. G'night, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi," Naruto called from the corner opposite of where his sister was curled up with Sai and Kurai near her for warmth.

"Good-night, Kayomie and Kakashi-sensei. Goodnight, Sasuke. Good-night Naruto," Sakura called from near the entrance near Sasuke.

"G'night."

"Goodnight, everyone," Kakashi muttered from where he was leaning against Sukai in a semi-sitting position.

Sukai gently shifted her position so Kakashi would be comfortable against her ribs. Her sharp eyes caught sight of Kayomie pulling her knees closer to her chin. The cougar nudged Kakashi awake by moving her side so he would fall over.

"Wha-? Sukai, what was that for?" he sleepily asked the cougar before following her eyes to Kayomie. "Oh… Thanks for letting me know, Sukai." The cougar purred in response as she moved to Kayomie's side to rest a paw over her feet. Kakashi sat by the cougar again. "All right, what are you thinking about, Kayomie?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Kakashi-san. Now, leave me alone."

"Not gonna happen, sweetheart. Now tell me, or I won't shut up and I'll wake Naruto."

"Big baby. Fine. I'm just thinking about something that happened to me a while ago, okay? Otherwise, nothing too bad."

"What was it?"

"Something an old master of mine did. Nothing you should worry about, Kakashi. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Kayomie."

As morning dawned, Kayomie stirred and cautiously slipped her ankles from under Sukai's heavy paw. The woman had something to retrieve and she needed some help to do it. She gently woke Sai and Kurai and motioned them to follow her quietly.

The two canines followed obediently until they were out of earshot when they began whining for her attention. Kayomie rubbed behind both of their ears with a smile. She knew those two would never help her if she didn't give them some petting first.

"Okay, guys. That's enough. I need to retrieve my Konoha village headband, okay? Do you think you can smell it out? The scent will be a little faded, but it's mine with a mix of cut cedar okay? Think you can find it?" The fox and the wolf nodded and licked her hands. "Good. Now, let's go."

They immediately began smelling the ground for it, leading her to a large, old oak tree. "This is where I left it… Now I remember. Thanks, guys." Kayomie said as she bent and began digging between the roots for something. She found a small cedar box engraved with dragons all over the surface. She opened it to see her headband as well polished and clean as she had left it. "Amazing how well it kept after eight years…" Kayomie removed her bandanna and replaced it with her headband. A few different sized collars with the same metal plate were also hidden in the box.

She lifted them out. "Remember these? Your moms used to wear them until they died. Now, it's your turn." Kayomie whispered as she reverently placed one on Sai's neck and Kurai's neck. "Lord knows that you and Sukai have earned them… Come on. We need to get ready to leave anyway."

The two canines followed her footsteps closely, proudly displaying their collars that their mothers had left behind. Sukai was already awake and awaiting their return when they got back. The cougar purred softly as she caught sight of Kayomie. "Hi, girl. I have something special for you," she said as she drew near the cougar and pulled the collar out and tied it around the muscular neck. Sukai glanced down at it and met Kayomie's eyes. The cougar licked her hand gently. She smiled at her as she rubbed behind her ears. "I know. You've earned it many a time, Sukai, but I wanted to make sure that you were ready. All of you proved it yesterday with your behavior towards our guests. I'm so proud of you three." Kayomie wiped her eyes softly as she slowly left the tent. "You're so much like your mothers…"

Sai followed Kayomie while Kurai lay down by the dozing Sasuke. The fox paused by the woman as she started breakfast. The faint smell of bacon and eggs drifted through the air. Kakashi was the first to stumble out of the tent. His eye widened slightly at the headband proudly displayed on her forehead.

"Good morning, Kakashi. Is there something I can help you with?" she said numbly as she continued cooking in the cross-legged position without even removing her eyes from the pan.

"Not really… Nice to see that you still have your headband," Kakashi replied as he sat down across the fire from her.

"Any ninja worth their snuff would always keep theirs. I just hid mine because I didn't want anyone stealing it and… well, I didn't want any rival ninja attacking me because of it."

"You were waiting until someone came and got you before you put it back on, weren't you?" Kakashi accused in the slight silence, minus Naruto's snores.

Kayomie stood as she wiped her hands off. "That's right." She replied as she pulled out a bowl of water and doused the fire. "Didn't seem to be much of a point to where it all the time when I'm by myself after a while anyways. Sai, would you wake Naruto up for me? I need to go see something and if he doesn't wake up, he'll miss breakfast. I was nice enough to make ramen for him." The gold fox barked and slipped into the tent to attempt to awaken Naruto. She quietly left, only to be followed by Kakashi.

"Why are you following me?" Kayomie demanded as she leaped from tree to tree, determined to shake him off or get him to leave.

"To make sure that you honor your promise. You said you would go with us and I want to make sure you do," Kakashi replied as he kept up the backbreaking pace she kept.

"A ninja is as good as her word. I'm not going to break it, scarecrow. You worry too much," she replied grumpily as she stopped near a clearing in front of a large cave with three large stones and mounds of dirt in front of it.

"Where is this place?" he asked softly, suspicions as to where they were.

"This is where the first Sai, Sukai, and Kurai lost their lives as they fought for mine. I buried them where they fell. This is their memorial, especially since they weren't technically ninja," Kayomie replied softly as she knelt in front of each and laid a small bouquet of different colored flowers in front of each grave.

"The Sai, Sukai, and Kurai back at the camp are their daughters, the runts of the litters and the only survivors. They know Naruto's scent and face because I taught them both. I just wish that their moms could see them grow up…" she whispered sadly. "They would be so proud…" She sniffled slightly before wiping the tear away and turned to meet Kakashi's sympathetic gaze with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry. I know how you feel," he replied as he walked forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know… Thanks, Kakashi…" Kayomie returned as she gave his hand a friendly squeeze. "We better get back or we'll miss breakfast. Come on," she stated as she vanished in a blur.

Kakashi paused, glancing at the graves before quickly bowing respectfully to each of them. "Thank you for protecting her, Sai, Sukai, and Kurai. I hope that you know how she regrets every time she may have been mean to you, but…" he paused. "I'm glad you were able to protect her. Thanks." He followed Kayomie's example and left.

A small glow emanated from the three graves, revealing three animals almost exactly like Sukai, Sai, and Kurai at camp, save for a few more scars on their faces. They smiled at Kakashi's retreating back. _"We know… Just take good care of her, Kakashi-sensei."_

Team 7 led the way back through the forest, Kayomie carrying the supplies and tent of her campsite on her back, her green eyes glazed in thought.

"Hey, Nee-chan, something wrong?" Naruto asked as he glanced back at her and met her gaze.

"Hmmm?" Kayomie lifted her head. "Oh, no, little brother, I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all." Sukai managed to pull the full tent pack onto her own shoulders. Before Kayomie could try to put it back on, she quickly took up a spot just in front of Kakashi. The woman growled irritably. The cougar knew that she wouldn't go near Kakashi for fear of recalling memories she didn't want to visit. "Cheater," she mumbled.

"Kayomie-san?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, Sakura?" she replied as she hiked the bag up a little more.

"We're getting close to the village. Maybe we should take walk along the outskirts," the girl suggested to her.

"We can start out from the gates just so long as we move away from any crowds," Kayomie stated with a small shiver.

"Hmph." Sasuke replied as he tried to move ahead of Kurai, who only increased her pace to match his. Kayomie snorted in amusement.

"Nice try, Sasuke. That won't work with Kurai. She's stubborn when she thinks someone needs her like that. She won't leave you alone until you break down and talk to her. So, I suggest you either get used to her or talk to her privately as soon as we stop," Kayomie called after the boy as she moved to just behind her little brother. Kakashi glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

_I don't think we have any festivals, but we better stick close to her. I don't know my days of the year as well as I used to, so we might just be walking into a landmine for her. _ The thought came unbidden by her slightly fearful face. "Kayo-chan?"

"Yeah, copy-cat?"

"Maybe you should stick by me. Naruto could lose you a lot easier than I would."

"I'll pass, copy-cat, I prefer to stick with family, no offense," she replied as she refused to meet his gaze.

Kakashi shrugged. "Suit yourself," he stated as the gates slowly opened for them. The group quietly walked in, Kayomie glancing back at the closing doors before returning her gaze to the front to see a large crowd a mere mile in front of her.

"Oh, no," she muttered as her face grew pale. This was going to be a mess on her mind if they walked into that. Naruto thankfully helped lead her in another direction of the crowd, bringing a small sigh of relief from her.

Unbeknownst to her, a slightly older man grinned as he watched her. Too bad she hadn't taken Kakashi up on his offer, it would have been a lot harder for him to separate her and get her into a crowd. At least this way, he didn't break a sweat. He quietly focused his chakra into a part of her mind, causing her to pause and glance around briefly. This allowed Naruto to walk too far ahead for her to call out to in such a large place with so many people.

A large crowd had gathered while Kayomie had glanced around for the source of that cry. Her head furrowed before the onrush on her mind began. She could have sworn… She suddenly groaned with her palms pressed tightly against her temples. _Too many thoughts… When did this crowd get here?_

A flash of black attracter her barely open eyes. They widened slightly. "No… You're dead… There's no way…"

"Oh, there is a way… Just like this is a way to bring you to your knees, Latoro Kayomie. Get used to it," the man replied with a smirk. "I'm going after your happiness, Kayomie. You better be prepared to lose it." With one final grin in her direction, he vanished.

The onslaught continued, bringing her to her knees. All the thoughts in the individual minds of the crowd pressed against the barriers of her mind before they broke through. Kayomie collapsed to her knees, her groaning getting louder. More thoughts crowded inward, making her scream before she finally welcomed the darkness as a relief from the ground. Echoes from Kakashi's mind entered before she completely lost consciousness. _Where is she? She couldn't have gotten far… If anything's happened to her, I don't know what I'd do… Kayomie!_

Kakashi quickly scanned the crowd shortly after Naruto had noticed her absence. His mind was a blur with worry. He not only didn't want her hurt because he wouldn't have done his mission correctly, but she was a friend of sorts and he didn't like having his friends harmed.

_Where is she? She couldn't have gotten far! How far could she go in this crowd with that phobia of hers! If anything happened to her, I don't know what I'd do._

He noticed a woman falling to her knees with her hands clenched to her head. As she fainted, he noticed her shimmering blonde hair. _Kayomie!_ Kakashi darted over to her, picked her up, and returned to a rooftop near where his team was searching.

Kayomie's face was pale and tense with pain. Her various muscles twitched as she curled against Kakashi instinctively. Sukai met Kakashi's worried gaze with her own before roaring softly to get him thinking again.

"Kakashi-sensei, what happened?" Sakura asked as she rushed to the worried man.

"Nee-chan!" Naruto yelped as he moved to see her. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"Shut up, bozo. Of course, she'll be all right. Did it look like she's dead?" Sasuke demanded quietly. Kurai growled at him rebukingly with a look in her eyes that said 'shut-up-before-I-do-it-for-you.'

"I don't know. She just collapsed with her hands clutched to her head… We should probably get her to the Hokage's office. Maybe he knows something that he didn't want to tell us," Kakashi replied as he jumped to another building, closely followed by Sukai carrying Sai.

Finally! It is finished! Review and tell me what you think! I apologize for taking so long and for not putting some of your reviews up, people, but I'm worn out today….

Naruto: We finally find out why Nee-chan is so crowd-phobic. She tells us that she's of a special class that was forced into service of the guy that Hokage sent her to steal from. Finally, I get the whole story! Hey, Whaddya mean that I would have avoided people too? I wouldn't have needed any help getting people to ignore me! Besides, you're more important than what the others think! Next time on Naruto: Camouflage of the Heart: Chapter 4: The Tiger's Mouth. This is going to be harder to get outta her than I thought!


	4. Out Of the Ninja's Mouth

**CAMOUFLAGE OF THE HEART**

**Ch. 4: The Tiger's Mouth**

Author's Note: My apologies, I accidentally screwed up the timeline for this fanfic. Basically, Kayomie is 25 and I goofed on how many years ago she left Naruto. My bad. I'm going to repost Ch. 3; if I haven't by the time I post this…. Anyway, if I goofed up any more, please let me know. I only recently discovered that Naruto is 12(I thought he was 14!), so I had to reconfigure the ages and such…

By the time Kakashi got Kayomie to the infirmary, it seemed that whatever it was that made her collapse had lifted slightly. She was still unconscious, but she was no longer twitching and clinging to Kakashi's shirt. When she was able to get up, there was no way Kakashi was going to let her live with that. (A/N: By the way, I only recently began getting all my information, so for me, the old fart is still the Hokage and Tsunade is still working as a healer ninja. I've only read up to volume 2, so I'm going by info I hear or look for. Deal with it!)

"Tsunade, we have a new patient for you," Kakashi stated as he stood with Kayomie clutched tightly to his chest. The blonde took one glance at the girl and gasped.

"Kakashi-chan, what happened to Kayo-chan? You didn't do anything to her, did you?"

"No, and I don't know. I'm hoping to find out when she wakes up." He replied as he followed her to a hospital bed and placed Kayomie on it. Sukai immediately laid down on the girl's left, so as to be close to her, but out of the way of Tsunade. Sasuke was perched by the windowsill, Kurai still glued to his side. He glared at the wolf.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" The wolf met his black gaze with her brown ones with a sly look and barked softly. "You know I can't understand you." She barked again. "You're annoying you know that?" The wolf licked his hand with a smile on her face. (Yes, dogs can do that. I happen to have one that does.)

Naruto and Sai were perched worriedly on the bed by her right hand. Tsunade ignored the pair as she quickly rested her hand on Kayomie's forehead.

"Well, whatever it was, it's gone now. I'll go let the Hokage know that you're here and Kayo-chan's unconscious," she said as she left the group in the room.

Sakura sat near the windowsill by Sasuke as she worriedly watched her new sensei sleep. She was a little scared. The only other girl on her team and she was taken out by her fear! How were they going to learn anything from someone who couldn't even keep herself from panicking in a crowded area?

"Kakashi-sensei, why do you think she collapsed like that?" Naruto asked his sensei as he removed his gaze from his older sister and looked at Kakashi, who was leaning against the wall with a fairly neutral look to those who couldn't read any of his emotions.

"I think you can ask her that yourself. She's coming to now," he replied as he noticed Kayomie's breathing change as the woman stirred. Her green eyes blinked open sleepily. She sat up shakily with one hand on her temple.

"Ow, what hit me?"

"Nee-chan!" Naruto yelled as he grabbed her in a bear hug. "Are you going to be okay?" The blonde smiled and rubbed his back.

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I? Wild horses couldn't keep me down and out for long, remember?" she replied as she met his sapphire orbs with a smirk. "I'll be fine. Don't worry so much, that's my job, silly." Movement caught her eye near the windowsill. "I see Kurai still won't leave you alone, huh, Sasuke?"

The boy glared at her evilly. "She is getting on my nerves, make her leave!"

"I'm afraid I don't have the authority over her to do that, Sasuke-kun. I may be her alpha female, but she doesn't listen to me much. You're on your own. What happened while I was out?" she asked, meeting Kakashi's worried glance at her.

"Nothing really. Just a rush here… Why did you pass out in the first place?"

Kayomie winced slightly at the question. "I'm assuming that the Hokage is on his way here, so I'll wait until he' s here so I don't have to explain myself twice," she replied as she dropped his gaze. Sukai rested her front paws on the bed and growled softly. "None of that, Sukai. I know already…"

Sai barked sharply at Kayomie, her gold eyes narrowed angrily. Kayomie patted both of the animals, reassuring them that she was all right. "I'm fine. Don't worry, silly."

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura all gave Naruto looks that demanded an explanation. He looked back at them. "What! She raised them since birth! Of course she can understand them!"

The Hokage quietly entered the room. "I see that Kayomie is safe and sound, quite unlike Tsunade left me to believe. How are you, Latoro-san?"

Kayomie sighed irritably as she rose and bowed. "I would appreciate it if you would call me Kayomie, Hokage-sama, but I'm fine now. I merely collapsed earlier, that's all."

"Do you mind explaining yourself? I'm sure that I'm not the only one who wants to know why."

"You aren't. I suggest you all take a seat, this will be a long story," Kayomie replied as she herself sat on the bed, Sai moving to her lap. Kakashi sat next to her, with Naruto on the other side, his big blue eyes latched onto her face.

"Well, let's see…. I guess I should start by explaining the nature of my last mission, since only I knew about it other than yourself, Hokage-sama. I was told that I was to retrieve a dangerous scroll with a ninjitsu that taught one how to use their chakra to read a person's thoughts. I was chosen since I was the one most qualified to sneak into the place unharmed and undetected.

"I probably should have expected it to be a lot harder than I thought it was, but I was a little worried about how five-year-old Naruto was acting for Iruka-san while I was out. We hadn't been separated since he was three. Anyway, save for a few unexpectantly stubborn guards, I managed to get in without detection and unharmed. But, the minute I landed on the scroll, I couldn't move. Not an inch save for my face. Basically, I had fallen for a trap that I should have been expecting.

"The man who had set it revealed himself and apparently liked what he saw. He had long black hair and golden eyes. He called himself 'Saiga' (No, I don't know what it means, I was random in picking his name.) for some odd reason. He decided that instead of killing me, he would break my spirit somehow and teach me his ninjitsu. Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled. I wanted to get back home to my brother, not learn all that was to be learned at the dojo.

"Saiga would have none of it. He not only kept me locked and tied up, but he would come visit me with all of my favorite outdoors things… Why, I don't know. I guess he wanted to start wearing part of me down, but it took a lot more than that. When I refused to show any emotion save for anger, he decided to go the old-fashioned way with torture. I… I almost lost that fight with him over my spirit. If it hadn't been for the fact that I had people at home worried sick about me, I probably would have given up.

"Thankfully, I'm a talented actress. Copycat over there can verify that for you," she said as she tilted her head towards Kakashi. "Saiga bought my act hook, line, and sinker. Not that I didn't pay for it later on, of course. He took me in as one of his top students with other nin that he had kidnapped on missions to his dojo. I was further along than the others because camouflage ninjitsu involves a lot of the thought and chakra that is also used in thought reading jutsu. I'm a fast learner and almost completed the teaching before Saiga discovered my betrayal. I had been sneaking bits of information through Sai, Kurai, and Sukai when they came looking for me.

"He found Sai and almost killed her in his rage before he realized that she was mine. So, he came after me. Not only did he try to kill me physically, he also fried me a few times mentally. Saiga was a master of his art, while I was just barely grasping almost all of it. I was hardly a match for him. If I hadn't mastered the mind barrier, I would probably be as mindless as a corpse. Saiga's students were brainwashed and spiritless when he finished with the spirit breaking part. I barely managed to kill him. The only part that I should have mastered before I left was how to keep a mental barrier in crowds."

"Ohhh…." Sakura said in a realization tone. "That explains why you collapsed. It wasn't fear, it was too many thoughts!"

Kayomie nodded with a pleased smile on her face. "Very good, Sakura, very good. Yes, that is why I avoided crowds and most people I didn't know very well. I didn't want to risk reading their thoughts like you would a newspaper. I also didn't want Naruto picking up my bad habits. This village avoids him enough as it is that he doesn't need to pull that crap as well."

"I resent that! I don't care, nee-chan! You're still my sister and I need you now as I did then! I wouldn't have picked up that habit." Naruto exclaimed. His sister narrowed her eyes in slight anger.

"Think about it, Naruto," she said in a calm icy voice. "If you had stayed with me, you would have picked up my habit of avoiding people eventually, all little kids do, and that includes Iruka. Then, where would you be? You wouldn't have gotten as far as you have now, little brother. I left for a perfectly good reason in my state of mind. I regret it now; because I would have gotten over this the longer I was exposed to it. But…" Kayomie said, her voice trailing off. "You can't change the past, now can you?" A sheepish smile crossed her face.

"No, you certainly can't," Hokage said as he stood. "I'll give you a few days off, Team 7. To get used to your new sensei and for some training, but then, you have to take any new missions with Kayomie, understood?"

Kakashi sweatdropped as he stood with his students. Of course, he would be in the same group as a vengeful Kayo-chan. She was gonna kill him in his sleep soon, too…. They all bowed and said, "Understood."

"Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but… Where am I staying?"

"Oh, didn't Kakashi tell you? Since you arrived early, you'll have to room with him." Both of the jounin froze.

"Are you serious!" Kayomie demanded. "I can't room with a PERV! Who knows what he'd pull!''

"I'll have you know that just because I read books like that, does NOT make me a perv. I wouldn't pull anything because I have quite a bit more honor and decency than that, thank you," Kakashi replied testily. Kayomie sighed as she considered her options silently.

Sukai nudged her knee. She glanced down at the cougar before letting out a deep breath. "All right, I'll stay with Kakashi, Hokage-sama. How long will this take?"

"About a month or so."

"Are you serious?" the two asked, the genin enjoying every bit of this comedic scene.

"I'm afraid so. You'll just have to deal with it."

"Yes, sir," they said reluctantly.

The three genin couldn't help themselves. They busted out laughing. Their senseis sounded just like moody teenagers!

Kayomie growled as she followed Team 7, refusing to move her eyes from the ground. Naruto moved back to her side, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Um, nee-san?" He asked.

"Yes, little brother?" she replied, stomping her anger into the back of her mind to deal with later.

"How many people can be in a crowd before you can't handle it?" The boy sheepishly moved his gaze to his feet when she raised an eyebrow. Kayomie chuckled. Naruto never could hold a new person's gaze for very long. This more mature, troubled version of her was new to him, so she shouldn't be surprised.

"About twenty-five. It's not a lot, considering all the people in the village. But it's more than I started out with," she explained as she soothingly dropped a hand on his head. "Relax, I haven't changed that much, Naruto. I'm still your old big sister, okay?"

He met her gaze, his own questing for hidden meanings before he grinned. "I know. Say, guess what I wanna be when I get bigger?"

Kayomie looked surprised. He had never mentioned something like this before. "Hmm… I dunno, what?"

"Lord Hokage! I'm gonna be the toughest ninja and then nobody will ignore me anymore! Believe it! (Sorry, I couldn't resist. I don't think he actually says 'believe it' in the manga, but I could be wrong.)"

Kayomie chuckled loudly, causing the trio in front of them to turn in surprise. "Oh, I don't doubt it, little brother. But, since when have you been ignored?" she teased as she ruffled his hair playfully. "Last I remember, you wouldn't let someone get away with that for too long."

Naruto blushed. It figured that she would remember that. Not that he expected her not to… He had kinda hoped so, though…

"It's my big dream though," he whined.

"I know, that's why I'm teasing, silly. Someone has to encourage you without letting your big head swell up even more and pop," Kayomie said before meeting the gazes of the three who had paused. "Are we going to… Kakashi's place or do we have time to stop for ramen?" she asked with a big grin.

Kakashi was slightly hopeful. Maybe she wasn't too mad at him after all. One could only hope… "I think we have enough time and I know a good place away from the market place," he stated with a quick glance at the quiver of nervousness in Kayomie's eyes. "I'm pretty sure Iruka will be there as well."

"You really think so?" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.

"I see Iruka has done a good job with taking care of my bro. Sure, I need to thank him anyway," Kayomie said with a nod of appreciation.

And this is where I end it. I can't let ya'll know too much, now can I? You might stop reading. Anyway, here's Naruto!

Naruto: Um… Thanks, I think… Anyway, next time on Naruto: Camouflage of the Heart: Chapter 5, Old Memories, Old Friends; Kayomie meets up with Iruka-sensei for the first time in years. Whaddya mean you two aren't pals!

Kayomie: We're KIDDING, Naruto. Relax, or you'll get a hernia.

Naruto…. What's a hernia?

Kayomie: Look it up. Anyway, while he's doing that, I'll continue with the preview. I finally find out what my little brother's been up to while he was at the Ninja Academy and I am NOT happy. While I head for a quick walk after ranting at him, Iruka spills about a little bit of my past when I was younger. Needless to say, when I got back, I totally kicked his ass and then went home… Okay, maybe not. Anyway, until next time! Sayonara!


	5. Old Friends, Old Memories

**CAMOUFLAGE OF THE HEART**

**Chapter 5: Old Friends, Old Memories**

A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, but my brain's been blocking me from working on part of this for some reason…

Kayomie stuck close to Naruto as the group entered the oddly deserted ramen stand. A glance around made her duck her head and move slightly behind Kakashi, as though she was hiding from someone. _Dear God, why did HE have to be here? What did I do to deserve this!_ She thought angrily.

Kakashi glanced back at her. "What's wrong?" The woman seemed to only shrink even more at the attention. Her face held annoyance and… from what he could tell, wanting to avoid something nasty. He followed her quick glance and grimaced slightly as well. "I didn't know Gai was here…" Kayomie gave him an incredulous look. "Honest!"

"You better be or I personally am going to kick your ass, got it?"

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled as he ran over to the man who sat at a barstool. Kayomie's eyes brightened as she followed Naruto's darting walk over to her best friend. After a few minutes to allow them to talk for a little bit, she followed him over.

"Well, hello, there, Iruka. How's it going?" she asked as she sat beside him and punched his arm lightly. A huge grin spread across her face at his surprised look. So, he was the only one who hadn't been expecting her… Thankfully, Gai hadn't noticed her yet, so she should still be safe.

"Kayo-chan… It's been a long time. It's going all right, but it's better now that you're back. How about you? Hi, Kakashi. Nice to see you again, Sasuke, Sakura," Iruka said, acknowledging the other three as well. Sai jumped into his lap and licked his chin excitedly.

"Sai, manners please. I'm all right. It's nice to be back though… Well, except for Mr. Bushy-Brows over there. Is it just me or has Gai been cloned? If there's a difference, please tell me, because this is just too creepy," Kayomie joked as she leaned against the bar.

"Hello, welcome to our shop. May I take your order?" the owner asked.

"Um, I'll have shrimp ramen, please," Kayomie requested.

"Miso ramen!" Naruto yelled. The woman laughed.

"Welcome back, Naruto. It's nice to see you again. And anything for you, Kakashi-san? Or you, Sakura, Sasuke?"

"No, thank you. I'm good," Kakashi replied.

"I'll have chicken please."

"I'm not hungry," Sasuke started before hearing Kurai whine at his side. He sighed emphatically. "I guess I'll have beef." The wolf barked happily, licking his hand. He jerked it away. "It's no big deal. Just leave me alone." The wolf yipped again, lying down at his feet. Her silver coat caught the light and seemed to glow slightly. Sasuke sighed again. This animal would never leave him alone!

Iruka laughed. "I see Kurai hasn't changed… So, I'm assuming that you're here to ask me something, right? So, what is it?"

"Well, for one thing, stop assuming things because you'll make an ass out of you and me, and second… Naruto did behave like a good student at the academy didn't he?" Kayomie asked as she dug into her ramen.

"Well… define 'good student'…"

"You know what I mean, Iruka. I'm not stupid. Okay, what'd the midget do?"

"I'm not a midget!" Naruto growled.

"Well, he was a little bit of a troublemaker, but he had all the ability of a good student, I swear. He worked pretty hard… when he had to, but he did graduate with decent grades."

"Basically, you're telling me that he was the exact opposite, huh?"

"Pretty much. But he has improved."

"That's all I needed to hear, Iruka. Naruto, can I talk to you for a minute?" Kayomie asked as she stood.

"Uh, sure, nee-san." The boy replied as he followed her. "What is it?"

"What did I tell you before I left, huh? I told you to behave and work hard at the Academy, didn't I?" she said in an angry tone.

"I tried…" Naruto complained as he dropped his sister's gaze. He hated it when she got mad…

"You know, I get the feeling that that's not the issue here… You didn't really pay attention to what Iruka said, did you?"

"Well…" he started, unable to finish it.

"Kayo-chan!" rang out a familiar male voice.

Kayomie paled. "Oh, no… Just do me a favor and try to work on that brain of yours, capice?"

"Uh, sure… Why's Gai heading over here?"

"Don't ask. I'll tell ya later. See ya!" she rushed out as she darted out the front door.

"What was that all about?" Naruto asked aloud as he sat back down.

"Is Gai bugging her?" Iruka asked.

"He's following her, if that's what you mean."

"Well, Gai has always had an eye on your older sister ever since he saw her at the Academy. Kayomie never even gave him a chance. Something about 'conflicting interests' and 'overly-emotional freaks' turned her off. Poor guy still can't take the message," Iruka stated as he watched Kayomie try to fend off her bushy-browed assailant and get to the door.

"No, really, I'm fine. No, Gai, I don't want a boyfriend. Don't have one and don't need one…"

"But, angel…"

"Don't call me that… I gotta go. I'm tired from my journey and need to get to where I'm staying before I pass out. Do ya mind?"

"Well, whom are you staying with?" Gai asked, his interest peaked.

"Well…"

"She's staying with me, Gai. Leave her alone, would ya?" Kakashi stated as he appeared behind the frantic kunoichi.

"Y-you're staying with… that perverted devil!" he yelled, tears streaming down his face.

"First off, while I can't deny he has a wild side somewhere, he's no devil, second, I don't think he'd try anything… and third, I don't have a choice. Hokage-sama ordered it himself, okay? Later!" she called cheerfully as she darted out the door.

Iruka laughed slightly as he watched her run out. "She never could hold off someone like that… So, how is she? I mean, she hasn't been weird or anything."

"Define weird," Sakura stated as she slurped some of her ramen. "Last I checked, this whole village was a little weird."

"True. I mean, she hasn't been quiet an awful lot has she?"

"Not really… Why?" Sasuke asked, his interest piqued as he put the bowl of ramen by Kurai to eat.

"Oh, no reason." Iruka stated as he picked at his food.

"Nice try, Iruka. You might as well tell us. We'll find out later anyway," Kakashi stated as he finished off Kayomie's noodles.

"Well, she isn't exactly what you would call the 'roll-with-the-punches' kind of person. She still thinks about things she's gone through and gets depressed about it. It's not exactly healthy, but it's not something she can control."

"Was nee-san always like that?" Naruto asked, stroking Sai who had leaped into his lap.

"For the most part, yes. Until she met Kakashi when she was a little older, anyway. I guess having someone she could talk to about stuff like that when she was so young sort of helped," Iruka said as he finished. He stood. "Well, I better go. I doubt Kayomie would like it if I told you much more without her here and I've learned from experience not to get on her bad side. I'll see you all around." The young man left quietly.

"That was weird," Naruto commented.

"He has a point though. Kayo-chan isn't exactly a pushover in the physical department. Anyway, we'd better go too. If I know the new sensei, we'll want to be up early," Kakashi stated.

Kayomie sighed once she was in the safe darkness of the brief tree cover. That was one of the many things she had missed about this place: the friendly trees that surrounded the area. She grew up reading a book in many of the plants, so she knew how to climb almost all of them… She rested a hand along the bark of the trees as she walked by them. A loud rustle from a bush behind her attracted her attention. She sighed. "Come on out, Kakashi, I know it's you."

There was no response. Okay, now she was annoyed. As if the kopineko (I think this is how you say copycat in Japanese…) hadn't irritated her enough earlier, now the jerk was ignoring her.

"I'm serious, kopineko, this isn't funny. Come out of there or I'll make sure you regret it," she growled as she turned to face the bush. Her green eyes narrowed suspiciously. After a threat like that, Kakashi normally listened to her in case she followed through… That wasn't the kopineko and from the chakra she could barely sense, it wasn't friendly.

"Come on out of there, stranger, before I go after you."

"Now, now, how can you say that to the man who trained you? I cared for you like a father," a familiar voice rang out from behind the shrubbery. Kayomie's eyes filled with fear, even as she stood her ground courageously.

"Like hell you did. What kind of father not only tries to kill his daughter, but also tortures her? Besides," she paused, concealing her confusion and fear by taking out her kunai. "I know who my father was, and he died long ago. Not that you would ever understand, Saiga." She hurled the knife at the older man, only to have him dodge and appear before her.

"Huh. Still as scared as always, Kayomie. You certainly haven't changed… I see that you came back. I'm surprised you would risk the village of your birth like this."

"It's better than hiding from my problems. Not that you would know, would you? You not only hid from yours, but also pushed it onto others. That's how you broke all the other students. You have no heart and never will," she growled back angrily before charging at him blindly in rage.

Her only defense against all the fear he brought her was not only her brother's safety, but also her rage at all he had done to her. The one goal she now had in life was to finally bring him down.

Saiga moved to the side and caught her knife hand. He managed to pry it out of her grip and sliced her side before she recovered from her surprise and slammed her foot into his thigh. He released her, and his hands flashed through some signs that would allow him access to her thoughts.

Kayomie's also flashed, in an effort to keep him out. She barely managed to hold the mental shield over all of her functions and hurtful memories before he physically attacked her again. The blond dodged and managed to stab his arm before she cried out from the multiple cuts that suddenly appeared on her body.

Kayomie hit the ground painfully. She whimpered slightly as she regained her footing and stood. Her hand reached into her back pocket for her shuriken and threw them to deter the master who still came after her to control her like a puppet. When he dodged, she was waiting with a final kick at his throat.

He caught her foot and flipped her onto her back, thrusting an odd looking knife into her belly. She screamed in agony, in fear. She blindly hoped for someone to hear her and get help…

A loud thump echoed in her ears as Saiga was pitched off of her. His footsteps ran off, leaving the message he had whispered before he departed.

_"I wouldn't be so relaxed if I was you… I won't kill you until the three genin are mine and are the students you never were… And even then, you won't die. You'll lose those kids and the source of happiness. Don't forget…"_

She opened her eyes to see Kakashi bending over her to inspect her wounds. She fought to touch his face, to make sure that this was no mirage or illusion. When she touched skin, she sighed in relief before sensing Saiga going after her students.

"Kakashi. He's after the kids! Get over there, I'll be fine!" Kayomie shouted as she shoved at him. She watched the silver-haired man look over there and dart towards him.

The fight ensued, with Kakashi actually succeeding with copying Saiga's thought-jutsu, and allowing him to communicate with Sukai. After that, Kayomie lost all consciousness from blood loss. Her brother's fearful yell as he raced to her was her last conscious sound.

Sukai growled fiercely beside the jounin, her fangs bared in a snarl. _"You know, normally, I don't say this, but you're good at this, Kakashi-san. Any suggestions as to how to keep him away from the others?"_ she asked through the instated mental link they now shared.

_"I'd prefer killing him right here, but I don't think we have the ability."_

_"Not right now, I'm afraid. For now, we kick his ass and drive him away from Kayomie. That's the main person he's after, who's also losing way too much blood for my taste,_" she replied as she charged Saiga with a roar.

Kakashi's hands flashed through a jutsu he had seen Kayomie use once and was transformed into a large, silver tiger. _Well, this is new… But I like it…_

_"Gee, good for you. Now, give me a hand here, would ya?"_ Sukai snapped as she was kicked away from Saiga. The cougar had deep cuts on her body, losing blood rapidly. She growled as she leaped in front of a frozen Sakura. The man had frozen all of the genin with a mind jutsu, one that controlled their bodily functions only once a day, and even then it was powerful enough to last for an hour at most.

_"Release them, Saiga. They have no quarrel with you!"_

"That is where you are wrong, scarecrow. You all do since you are part of what keeps my student from learning. I must rid her of her distractions, as any teacher would do."

Kakashi lost his temper for the first time since Zabuza. He attacked the man fiercely with his teeth and claws, wherever he could reach. He would have succeeded in destroying Saiga if the man hadn't not only stabbed him in the foreleg, but kicked himself free and took off.

_"Kakashi, worry about him later! We have to get Kayomie and the kids home. Kayomie needs medical treatment and the others will need one hell of a good-night's sleep after that treatment." _Sukai informed him calmly through his rage. The young man's anger was no more terrifying than Kayomie at her least when she was in a self-hating mood. Only, he was angry at an outside source that made it a little harder to snap him out of. _"Believe me, I want to take him down as much as you, but we have other responsibilities. Sai's unconscious and Kurai's frozen with Sasuke so we have to get them with the kids home. Now, calm down, tiger." _

Kakashi took several deep breaths as he returned to his human form and picked up Kayomie and helped Naruto to his feet. The spell had worn off a couple of minutes ago, and the three genin were a little numb.

"Kakashi-sensei, what was that? WHO was that? What'd he do to us?" Sakura stammered from her seat on Sukai's back.

"I believe that was Saiga, and he used a mental jutsu to freeze you three and Kurai. Sai was already unconscious so it wouldn't work on her. You three had better get home. Naruto, why don't you take Sai with you? Sakura, Sasuke, since you two seem to have been picked by the other two, keep them with you until Kayo-chan is better, okay?

"Right," the three said, although Sasuke wasn't happy about it. The wolf was supporting him, which he was grateful for, but he knew she wouldn't leave him alone at all.

Kakashi quietly vanished in a puff of smoke and headed to his home, the blond in his arms still unconscious from bloodloss and fatigue. He softly brushed a lock of hair from her face and sped it up.

Naruto: Next time on Naruto: Camouflage of the Heart: Ch. 6: Secret Past Revealed. Kayomie finally explains everything, or I think she does. However, Kakashi-sensei thinks she's holding back something for some reason.

Kakashi: I'm almost positive that she did, but I'm not dumb enough to push her… Go on with the preview would you?

Naruto: Right, anyway, so we find out that Saiga was more like a monster than we originally thought. Find out how next time on Naruto: Camouflage of the Heart!


	6. Secret Past Revealed

**CAMOUFLAGE OF THE HEART**

**Ch. 6: Secret Past Revealed**

Kayomie yawned as she stretched in her bed… Actually, if her nose was working correctly, it was Kakashi's bed. How the hell had she ended up here? As she slipped herself out of bed and onto the floor, her emerald gaze spotted a note pinned to the sheet.

"Huh?" Kayomie muttered as she tugged it free and held it up to her eyes.

_Kayo-chan-_

_Sorry for not waking you up, but after last night, you needed the time to recuperate. Anyway, once you're ready, meet me and Team 7 at the bridge as soon as you can. Don't worry; I'll take care of them if you're late._

_-Kakashi_

"Only kopineko…" she sighed as she changed into her clothes and retied her bandages over her wounded arm. "But how'd I get here? Last I remember, I was fighting Saiga and…" she softly felt her legs over after noting the extra tears in her pants. Her fingertips found bandages under every one. Kayomie also checked out the slashes on her side and belly and found them bandaged as well. However, as she changed those, her belly wound looked a little infected to her. "Geez, I guess I was more injured than I thought."

She wandered into the kitchen and, finding nothing else on the counter and didn't want to go on a search for anything, munched on some toast slathered in peanut butter. After a quick stretching out of her muscles, she performed a vanishing act and reappeared on one of the gates on the bridge.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke looked up at her, only to get surprised looks on their faces.

"What? You guys look like you were expecting someone else, you three," Kayomie replied as she nimbly landed before them.

"After the fight you were in, we were!" Naruto yelled as he hugged his sister tightly once he was sure she had her balance. Kayomie winced as she loosened the boy's grip.

"Easy. I'm still a little sore, bro."

"Heh, heh, sorry, nee-chan!"

"You couldn't have known that, so don't be sorry. Sakura, Sasuke, you two okay?" she asked, as she looked the two over.

"Yeah."

"Kakashi-sensei wouldn't let us fight!" Sakura complained as she walked up to the kunoichi that was her teacher.

"It's a good thing he didn't! You could have ended up seriously injured." _In more ways than one,_ she added mentally. Sukai limped forward; bandages wrapped around her forelegs and her belly, and nuzzled Kayomie's hand gently. "I'm fine, Sukai. I'll be fully healed in a week. Two, tops."

Sai barked softly, a bandage wrapped around her head from where she had been struck by a kunai the night before, Kurai in a similar condition.

"You three look like you've been through the mill. What happened?" Kayomie asked as she rubbed behind the canines' ears.

"Kakashi and the animals fought Saiga. For some reason, after being hit a few times, he took one good look at Kakashi's face and took off," Sasuke said.

"Really?" Kayomie replied thoughtfully. _That's odd. He only ever did that when I almost went beserk from my newfound power… No, it's impossible. Especially for Kakashi. He's not that good when he first learns a new technique… is he?_

Kakashi appeared with a poof on the gate Kayomie had been sitting on a few moments earlier. "Hello, everyone. Good morning, Kayo-chan."

"Only friends and family can call me that, Kakashi, so find another nickname. Let me guess, lost in the path of life again?" she asked, as her eyes seemed to search for something in his face.

"Yes, and is that any way to treat someone who's letting you stay with him?" Kakashi asked as he landed before her.

"Since you're only doing that because of orders, yes, it is. Now, what mission, pray tell, is up for our students today?" Kayomie asked as she smoothed a strand of hair out Sakura's eyes.

Sasuke watched this in confusion. _Why does she treat us like her younger siblings? _He pondered to himself.

_'Because, in a way, you are,'_ whispered a mysterious male voice in his mind.

"Huh? Who said that?"

"Sasuke, said what?"

"That!" he snapped at the kunoichi in his squad.

"Sasuke! There is no reason to snap at someone like that!" Kakashi retorted.

"Hang on, kopineko. Let me handle this. I doubt he would snap at Sakura for no reason… Besides, I see fear written on the boy's face. I'll take care of this," Kayomie murmured to her fellow teacher as she walked over to Sasuke, who had been pinned onto his back by a worried Kurai.

"Sasuke, what did you hear?"

"…." He didn't answer, his sharingan suddenly slipping through.

"Shit…" Kayomie muttered as her hands flashed through the signs that would allow her temporary access to another's mind. Kayomie softly placed a hand on the boy's forehead and allowed herself to enter his mind.

"Sasuke! Look, I know you can hear me, so you might as well answer! Sasuke?" Kayomie called as she stood in an inky darkness. It may have looked empty, but her senses told her otherwise. "Sasuke, I need you to answer me, not attack me. I know I should have asked first, but you were in shock and wouldn't have been able to hear me. So, do us both a favor and call off your defenses!"

"They aren't his defenses, my dear pupil, and you shouldn't keep secrets from your students," a familiar voice cooed from all around her.

"Saiga, release him. I told you last night; he and the others have nothing to do with this. This is between you and me, no one else. Keep it that way, or I'll be forced to take drastic measures," Kayomie replied with a deep growl.

"I wouldn't do that in here. You know what happens to an inexperienced mind when a difficult mind jutsu is performed in it," the man warned as he appeared before her.

Kayomie's green eyes narrowed in frustration. She had forgotten that this wasn't her mind, it was Sasuke's… and she wouldn't put the boy at risk if she could help it. "Then take it outside of his mind and into my own. This is OUR fight, not his, so why show up here?"

"Kayomie, Kayomie, Kayomie, have I taught you nothing? This boy is not only the last of his clan and bloodline, but he has the same potential that you did when you were younger. If I lure him close enough to the edge now, he'll have no choice but to surrender and let me teach him."

"Not on your life!" echoed Sasuke's voice from around the two jounin in his mind. Kayomie seemed to relax a little at this response from the Uchiha. If he still had rebellion against Saiga, there was hope that he hadn't been told anything yet.

"Sasuke, are you all right?" Kayomie asked aloud.

"I'm fine. How the hell do I form a physical shape?"

"Just focus on it," she replied with a laugh in her voice. "This is YOUR mind after all, Sasuke. You have the power in here. I'm just backup to let you know if ya need help, you got it." The woman's eyes watched as the boy's chosen form took shape. "You made yourself a little bit more buff than you are, but hey, whatever makes you happy."

Sasuke glared at his teacher before returning his gaze to Saiga. "What did you mean by 'in a way I am'? She has a younger sibling and it isn't Sakura or me."

"I mean that for years, she has considered the three of you her little brothers and sister. I'm beginning to see why. All three of you have a similar potential that she possesses to learn my jutsu."

A low growl emanated from Kayomie's throat. Both males looked at her to see her eyes blazing with anger. Sasuke blinked in alarm. "Before you reply for me, Saiga, what he means is that you three are still faintly innocent in some way. How depends on person to person. Last I checked, Kakashi also counted, but hey, Saiga always was a lousy teacher," she said, noting in satisfaction Saiga's face flush in anger.

"If I was so lousy, then how did you learn? You could never have figured it out on your own!"

"I didn't need to. Now, leave, before I reveal something that you wouldn't want revealed to Sasuke," Kayomie warned as she stepped forward towards the man. Her eyes flashed warningly.

The older man growled before slowly vanishing. "I WILL return, Kayomie, and you had better be prepared for me."

"Don't you worry. I will be," she replied softly before looking at Sasuke's stunned face. "What?"

"What the hell just happened here? What was he talking about?" The boy demanded tensely, his gaze digging into hers. His body was tensed in defense, waiting for an attack from her. The young woman's eyes softened slightly at this reaction.

"He was talking about something that I'll let you know once we're out of your mind. Basically, wait until I'm fully out of your mind and then wake up. That's all you need to do. And for the record, Kurai was broadcasting this into Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi's minds so you won't be the only one with questions. And we'll need to be somewhere private so no one else will know."

"Why?" he asked, confused.

"Because I don't like revealing my past where anyone can overhear, okay? I'm sort of touchy about that. What happened happened and no one needs to worry about me," Kayomie said as she slowly began to disappear as well. "Remember my instructions, all right?"

"All right," Sasuke replied, his gaze slightly more trustful.

Kayomie opened her eyes to see Kakashi glaring at her from where he crouched before her. "What, kopineko?" she growled, slightly annoyed.

"Why in hell would you keep this a secret from us? That man is a danger to the whole village, Kayomie!"

"We'll discuss this in PRIVATE, kopineko. Kids have big ears and even bigger memories and don't need to know about stuff like this. Besides, we already need to leave before attention is drawn here," Kayomie murmured as she stood, helping Sasuke to his feet. Kurai pressed against his leg worriedly. He glanced down at the wolf before ruffling her ears. She blinked in obvious surprise before licking his hand happily.

"There's a first. Who would have thought Sasuke would be nice to anybody?" Naruto teased. The boy glared at the blonde only to be restrained by Kayomie grabbing his collar and dragging him off.

"Come on. I can sense Gai from here. I don't need to put up with him if I can help it."

Kayomie released the boy and plopped down on a tree root in the clearing she had managed to find not too far from the village. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the trunk.

"All right," she started. "What do you wanna know?"

"Well, you could mention what the hell Saiga was talking about when he said you were still innocent," Kakashi intoned. "You had already killed someone by the time you had left for the mission, so what did he mean?"

Kayomie's cheekbones reddened with a blush. "Basically, he meant that no guy had laid a hand on me sexually. Got it?" Kakashi smirked before she dropped his gaze. "Anyway, what else are you going to demand out of me?"

"How can Saiga be around now? You killed him didn't you?" Naruto asked softly.

"That's what I thought until yesterday afternoon. That's how I got separated from you, little brother. He made it seem like someone had called my name and I paused, which is when the crowd separated you from me. Then he showed up when I was close to passing out… That's why I didn't say anything about it. I thought that I was hallucinating…" Kayomie murmured, her eyes suddenly glued onto the stump Sai was seated on. "Then last night happened and now we're here."

"Why is Saiga after us?" Sakura demanded. "And would you look at us when you answer?"

Kayomie met Sakura's gaze with a smirk. "Why? Does it unnerve you?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it."

"Okay, then… Anyway, he's after you because, for some odd reason, you all have the potential to not only learn the mind jutsus, but you can also use them to their full potential. The last person Saiga stumbled across who was able to do that was myself. That and you three are young enough to be corrupted. Kakashi still has that potential, but it would take a lot more to break him of his ethics," the blonde explained as she toyed with a strand of her hair.

"What's so wrong about the mind jutsus anyway? Aren't they just like any other?" Sasuke muttered.

"Don't even think like that, Uchiha Sasuke! That's how Saiga can worm his way into the strongest mind, through doubts like that! The mind jutsus are dangerous and very difficult to control. They also are wrong. Think about how easy it would be to fight an opponent when you could predict their every move, and read every thought, Sasuke. Not only would it basically be a massacre, but it would be morally wrong to use those in battle. I myself have only used them in practice and to check on the mental stability of those I care about," Kayomie told him, her eyes resembling the emeralds the color copied. "Understand?"

Sasuke swallowed nervously as he nodded. Something about her when she was angry unnerved him. He had yet to figure out why, but it probably was no big deal.

"Anything else?" she said cheerfully, her eyes reverting to their happy state.

"Why does he scare you so much, nee-san? I've never seen you so freaked," Naruto commented softly. His sister met his gaze with a confused look on her face.

"Why would you say I was scared?"

"Well… I dunno. I just thought you were. I've never seen you fight so desperately before."

Kayomie smiled softly. "You have a point, Naruto. I don't really know. I just am. Anyway, since we're obviously done with the questionnaire, we might as well get training you three," she stated as she stood, brushing off her pants. "Kopineko, where do you guys train at?"

"The same clearing Hokage-sama trained my squad. It's the one not many else know about," Kakashi replied softly, his eye clouded in thought at how she had avoided the question.

Kayomie nodded. "Okay. On we go!" she cheered as she darted off, closely followed by her brother.

"Hey, wait up!" Sakura yelled.

"What an annoyance," Sasuke complained.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­End of chapter!! Finally! Sorry it took so long! Okay, Naruto, take it away!

Naruto: Okay… I think… Anyway, next time on Camouflage of the Heart: Kayomie and Kakashi-sensei spar to show us how well they can fight against each other. That and Sakura was whining about how kunoichi can't be as tough as regular nin… Oh, and Kakashi-sensei gets Kayomie drunk.

Me: Let the hilarity ensue… Geez, this is going to be a little spooky about Kayomie…

Naruto: No kidding… Anyway, see ya next time!


End file.
